Post-Game Grades: Indiana Pacers Lose 4th Straight as San Antonio Spurs Pull Away Late
29. 106. 100. Final. 110
Despite a valiant effort, Paul George and the short-handed Indiana Pacers fell short to the San Antonio Spurs as Kawhi Leonard torched them for 32 points.
The Good: The Pacers took the Spurs to the wire, which was encouraging to see as San Antonio is a perennial contender and holds the league’s second-best record at 42-13. The game went back-and-forth, but Indiana could not weather San Antonio’s late-game surge. Nonetheless, the effort was impressive.
The Bad: Defense and Rebounding. It is extremely difficult to win a basketball game if you give up 110 points and lose the rebounding battle by 12. It is even more difficult when you square up against Greg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs.
MVP: Paul George did a little bit of everything.
LVP: Glenn Robinson III got the surprise start but struggled.
X-Factor: Kevin Seraphin, another surprise starter, shows up again to wreck a little havoc second double-digit scoring night in the last three games.
A. Vintage PG13 was on display tonight as he dropped 27 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. The all-star forward also shot an efficient 8-15 from the field and 7-8 from the charity stripe. His matchup, Kawhi Leonard, did score 32 points, but defending Leonard is a tall task and Indiana’s help defense was not there tonight. George would have received an A+ had he been more aggressive on offense in the 4th quarter.. Small Forward. Indiana Pacers. PAUL GEORGE
JEFF TEAGUE. B+. Teague recorded 15 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, but he did not control the game as the Bankers Life crowd is accustomed to. He also had a +/- of -18 which was surprising in such a close game. The Indy native was good tonight, but not great, so he gets a B+.. Point Guard. Indiana Pacers
This is what Indiana wants from Myles Turner. He needs to put the ball in the hole for the Pacers, and he did just that tonight as he scored 22 points on 6-13 shooting and 9-12 from the FT line. His defense was also exceptional as he stifled the San Antonio bigs and helped hold LaMarcus Aldrige to 7-22 shooting. It would be nice to see Myles grab more than 6 rebounds to avoid being crushed on the glass like Indiana was tonight.. Center. Indiana Pacers. MYLES TURNER. A
D+. Tonight was a night that GR3 may want to forget. He drew the start tonight, but only played 22 minutes, went 0-2 from the field and pulled down 3 rebounds. He did have 2 steals, but Indiana could have benefited from a better night from the up and coming shooting guard.. Small Forward. Indiana Pacers. GLENN ROBINSON III
B+. Ellis had 10 points, 4 assists and a pair of steals in 30 minutes tonight as he garnered the most minutes among Indiana’s shooting guards. He also continued to backup Teague at point guard, which he seems to be comfortable with. If this was last season, this stat line would probably not earn Monta a B+, but this season, it definitely does.. Shooting Guard. Indiana Pacers. MONTA ELLIS
C-. C.J. returned to a bench role tonight and played 22 minutes. He put up 5 points on 2-7 from the field and 1-5 from beyond the arc to go with 4 rebounds. It was an mediocre night for Miles.. Shooting Guard. Indiana Pacers. C.J. MILES
D+. Jefferson had an unremarkable night as he played 14 minutes, scored 2 points on 1-6 from the field and had 3 rebounds. The big fella was not much of a factor tonight and earns himself a D+.. Center. Indiana Pacers. AL JEFFERSON
Indiana Pacers. KEVIN SERAPHIN. A. Kevin Seraphin was phenomenal tonight in replacement of the injured Thaddeus Young and Lavoy Allen. Seraphin played 27 minutes, tallied 12 points, 4 rebounds and a block. He was also very productive on the defensive end, and was a pleasant surprise in this close game against one of the NBA’s elite teams.. Center
A+. Stuckey was excellent tonight and played like the guy Indiana has wanted him to be. The veteran guard had 13 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and a +/- of +11. More of that could be exactly what the Pacers are looking for in the shooting guard position. Hopefully Stuckey can stay healthy in the latter part of the season.. Point Guard. Indiana Pacers. RODNEY STUCKEY